Rising demand for APGCC honey in Gulf countries: Official

Published: Monday, September 8, 2008, 16:39 [IST]

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Visakhapatnam, Sep 8 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Girijan Cooperative Corporation (APGCC) Marketing General Manager S Adinarayana today said there has been a growing demand for honey produced by the GCC in foreign markets, especially in Gulf countries.

Talking to UNI here, he said the APGCC expected to fetch Rs five crore through exports this fiscal.

The GCC, which made its foray into honey and coffee business last year had plans to substantially increase its market share this year. The coffee seeds cultivated in Paderu and Araku Valley mandals in the district had won international acclaim as 'Anantagiri Coffee.' The tribals cultivating these coffee plants used only organic fertilisers, he claimed.

Andhra Pradesh was one of the four states where coffee plantations were being raised, the others being Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Coffee was being cultivated in the state in two districts --in the Agency Areas in East Godavari (50,000 hectares) and Visakhapatnam (10,000 hectares) districts.

Mr Adinarayana said this year, it was proposed to procure 100 quintals of coffee seed for processing. It had also formulated plans to encourage coffee cultivation.

The GCC sanctions loans for cultivation and accepts coffee seed for recovery of loans, he added.